Thunder push Spurs to brink with dominant Game 5 win as Wembanyama posts series-low 20 points
Thunder Edge Spurs 127‑114 in Game 5, One Win From NBA Finals
Oklahoma City – The Oklahoma City Thunder pulled away from the San Antonio Spurs in the decisive Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, earning a 127‑114 victory that puts them just one win from a second straight NBA Finals appearance.
Shai Gilgeous‑Alexander paced the Thunder with 32 points and nine assists, while the defense tightened in the second half to keep the Spurs from mounting a comeback. San Antonio’s Stephon Castle contributed 24 points and five rebounds, and veteran center Victor Wembanyama finished with a series‑low 20 points, shooting 4‑for‑15 from the field and missing all five of his three‑point attempts.
The Spurs had entered the game hoping to follow a simple formula: when Wembanyama played his best, they won. When he faltered, they lost. That pattern held. In the two wins earlier in the series, Wembanyama poured in 41 and 33 points, respectively. In this game, he struggled to find his rhythm. The only time the Spurs narrowed the deficit was after an impassioned speech he delivered to teammates at a timeout less than two minutes into the third quarter. “We’re still in this,” Wembanyama told the group, and the Spurs briefly cut the Thunder’s lead to eight before the Oklahoma City defense tightened.
The Thunder opened the game with a 18‑point advantage, then extended it to 20 points in the first half. Even as the Spurs closed the gap to within eight early in the third, the Thunder’s offense continued to flow. The combination of a high‑scoring offense and disciplined defense carried Oklahoma City to the win.
With the series now tied 3‑1, the Thunder are only one victory away from a Finals berth, while the Spurs will look to force a Game 7 and keep their playoff hopes alive. The outcome of the Western Conference Finals will also determine which Eastern Conference team will face the Thunder in the NBA Finals, a matchup the New York Knicks fans are already anticipating.
The crowd in Manhattan was buzzing even before the game began. Knicks supporters outside the arena chanted, “We want Wemby! We want Wemby!” In response, Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson acknowledged the buzz: “I know New York’s on fire. They won so that city is obviously enjoying it and they’ve had a heck of a playoff run,” Johnson said. “But unfortunately, I’ve been pretty locked‑into what we’ve got going right here in front of us.”
The Knicks will have to wait until Thursday to find out whether the Thunder or the Spurs advance to the NBA Finals. For now, the Thunder celebrate a decisive win that moves them closer to a championship series, while the Spurs regroup and prepare for the next chapter of the playoffs.
